


from scratch

by doctorkilljoy



Series: Domestic AU [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Self Esteem Issues, Skinny!Steve, There's also a dog, pure sweet fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 11:30:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5089046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctorkilljoy/pseuds/doctorkilljoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky is learning to cook, Steve is supportive, and they have an adorable dog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	from scratch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kellyscams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kellyscams/gifts).



> So I found out I'm not actually a terrible cook. For a long time I thought I was, and I'd see a lot of recipes online I wanted to try, but didn't for various reasons. But I've been learning more and more about cooking and I love it. Also while not everything I make looks pretty, it sure tastes freakin' phenomenal. I was texting Kellyscams about it and it became an "imagine your OTP" thing. I wrote this in two hours and it's not beta'd so please forgive any mistakes. Also I'm posting from my phone.

Steve knew better than to go in the kitchen on Bucky's "experiment" days.

It had started when Bucky found a website that was dedicated to showing people how to cook from scratch. Things that people once made by hand, but most nowadays weren't so adept at.

Both of their tastes were admittedly old fashioned, but neither of them could make so much as a pie crust. Sarah Rogers had tried her best to teach them, but neither of them had been overly interested in cooking at the time.

But now, it seemed to be on Bucky's mind constantly. For a while, Bucky mostly looked at the pictures and ended up making himself hungry. Steve would chuckle and ask, "Why don't you try to cook something?"

Bucky shook his head, gesturing around vaguely. "You kiddin' me? I've seen closets bigger than our kitchen. And we can't afford all the stuff we'd need to make most of these recipes." He would bitterly mutter something about mixing bowls and closed his laptop.

Steve didn't push it; instead, he waited. He knew the idea was stuck in Bucky's head, because he would visit the same site about six times daily, minimum.

Then, one cold afternoon, Steve got home from work early. He'd been intending on finishing an art project for class, but a scent hit him when he walked in the door. It smelled wonderful, but he didn't know what it was. He was a little confused; Bucky was supposed to be working at the gym, so where was the smell coming from?

"Bucky?" He called.

"Don't come in here!" Bucky called back. Steve could see him moving around in the kitchen. Bucky's hair was up in a loose man bun, and he had on a tank top and shorts. It was then that Steve realized it was nearly boiling in the apartment, something that only happened when they ran the stove and the oven at the same time. Steve took off his coat and scarf.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked, hanging up his outerwear by the door. Bucky turned to face him, and he looked unsure for a moment.

"I'm trying something. I'm serious, Rogers, I see your skinny ass in this kitchen I'll knock you into next week." He was glaring at Steve, who laughed at him.

"All right! I won't come in there, I promise. I'll be in the bedroom," Steve replied. He shielded his eyes as he passed the kitchen, and could feel Bucky's gaze on him as he went. He knew Bucky didn't mean a word of it. He was almost twice Steve's size, but he was the most gentle man Steve had ever known.

Steve let himself into the bedroom, and had to keep Lucy from running out. She whined pitifully, and Steve knelt down and pet her. "He's keeping you out too, huh?" The French bulldog made a snuffling, indignant noise and Steve laughed. "C'mon you."

Steve changed into his pajamas, and pulled on a hoodie. Even with it being so hot, he knew Bucky would have a fit if he caught Steve without it. When he heard a loud bang in the kitchen, he called, "Everything okay?"

"Fine! Stay outta here!"

"Yeah, yeah, Buck, I heard ya the first time!" Steve shouted back. He curled up on the bed with Lucy, deciding to read a book while Bucky finished whatever it was he was working on. It was pretty clear he was cooking something, but what, Steve had no idea.

As time went on, the delicious scent from the kitchen grew more intense. Lucy whined, and jumped off the bed. She pawed at the door and Steve said, "No, Lucy, not yet. You want Papa Bucky to get mad?"

Lucy turned her big, sad eyes on Steve. Which seemed bigger as she had tan fur and black eyes. It worked like a charm on both of them, and the little dog knew it.

Steve knocked on the bedroom door and asked, "Can we come out yet?"

"Almost!" Said Bucky. His voice sounded strained.

Steve rolled his eyes, then asked Lucy, "Do you need to go potty?" Lucy gave a soft woof, but didn't go grab her leash from the corner. It had been Bucky’s idea to train their dog to do that when she needed to go outside. Steve chuckled and pet Lucy, saying, "Shouldn't be much longer."

It was just then the door opened. Bucky's hair was disheveled and hanging in his face. He was sweating, and looked like he'd been running a marathon instead of cooking. Lucy let out a bark, though it sounded more like a cough. She jumped around Bucky's feet, begging for attention.

Steve smiled and asked, "So, you ready?"

"Yeah, but... I dunno if you're gonna like it," Bucky replied, looking sheepish. He picked up Lucy and scratched her head. "I've got some bits saved just for you, ya little shit."

Steve laughed, and followed Bucky into the living room. They didn't have a dining table, so instead Bucky had set everything up on the coffee table. Steve stopped, staring in surprise.

There was a large pot of soup, two bowls, two glasses of milk, a loaf of French bread that was already sliced, butter, the usual utensils, and a little plate with bits of chicken on it. Steve sat in front of one of the bowls, asking, "So this is what you were making?"

Bucky shrugged, sitting down next to Steve and keeping Lucy in his lap. Which was difficult to do one handed, as the dog was squirming, trying to get to the food on the table. Bucky took Steve's bowl, and used the ladle in the pot to fill it up. He quietly passed the bowl to his boyfriend.

"What is it?" Steve asked.

"It's chicken soup, home made. Did the whole thing myself including the broth," said Bucky. He wasn't looking at Steve, as he served himself. "I kinda had to improvise, because it's like what I said. The lady who runs that blog can afford all these fresh spices and a Dutch oven and shit but--"

But Steve had already taken his first sip. He grinned at Bucky and said, "This is amazing!"

"Shut up," Bucky said, but his face was a little pink. He tried the soup himself, then said, "It's pretty good, but I'm probably gonna go easy on the thyme next time. It's kinda strong."

"It's still pretty damned good, Buck," Steve told him, smiling. "I mean that." Lucy was squirming even more, and made both of them laugh. Bucky put her down, and put the plate of leftover chicken next to her. Lucy went to it immediately, which made Steve laugh harder.

"She's pretty easy to please." Bucky smiled at the dog, then asked Steve, "So, you really like it? It's okay?"

"It's great!" Steve enthused. "Really good! Mom would be proud." He picked up a slice of bread, and asked, "Did you make this too?"

"Yeah, but it came out more like dinner rolls. I kinda messed up and put the salt in at the wrong time."

"Hey, look at me." Bucky looked up, and Steve smiled. It was rare for Bucky to be so unsure of himself, especially when it was obvious that he'd done well. "This is really good. I know you're nervous about it, but this tastes great. Okay?"

"Okay."

"So why chicken soup?" Bucky bit his lip, and Steve wasn't sure he was gonna answer. They ate in silence for a while, and Steve savored every bite. He was refilling his bowl when Bucky spoke up.

"It's getting colder and you always get sick around now. I thought maybe if I made some soup before you came down with something, it would help."

Steve's heart melted at that. He reached over, and took Bucky's hand. "That's real thoughtful, Buck. And this is great."

"Hope you still think that when we have it for breakfast tomorrow. Kinda used what we had left in the fridge," Bucky told him.

Steve laughed, then leaned over and kissed Bucky's lips. "I'm sure I will."

Bucky grinned at him. "Thanks, punk."

"You're welcome, jerk. And if you wanna make this a habit, I could stand to gain a little weight."

"You sure can." Bucky pinched Steve in the side, and made him squeal in an undignified way. They shoved each other, laughing. Lucy got excited by the commotion and leapt around them, barking her head off.

After that, Steve always stayed out of the kitchen when Bucky asked him to. It meant he was experimenting with a new recipe, and it was always worth it when Bucky shared his newest creation with Steve.

He was especially fond of Bucky's home made pizza.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my [Tumblr](http://talkingcinemalight.tumblr.com)


End file.
